Chapter 108: You Made Me Grovel on the Ground, I Shall Send You Beneath It

The Special Investigations Department mobilized in full force. Their targets were not limited to Kurozawa Shin; many of his lackeys were arrested as well.

Kurozawa Shin was taken away by investigators for questioning.

The news spread through Tokyo’s upper political circles almost immediately, yet many of the senior politicians who had gathered around him remained unmoved, shutting themselves away behind closed doors.

The reason was that, from the moment the anti-Kurozawa faction had made its move, they had already been informed that the crackdown would be limited to Kurozawa Shin and his closest confidants. It would not spread any further.

Those people also understood perfectly well that if the Special Investigations Department had gone so far as to make arrests, then it must have possessed hard evidence against Kurozawa Shin—and that someone powerful was pushing the matter forward from behind the scenes.

At such a critical moment, no one wanted to draw the flames onto themselves.

After all, even if Kurozawa Shin fell, as long as they still held on to their power, everyone would need to court their favor.

There was no need to rush out and make a show of themselves.

As Kurozawa Shin’s undisputed number-one confidant, Haramoto Heiji was naturally not going to escape the Special Investigations Department either.

Yet when the prosecutors responsible for his arrest arrived at his residence, they found it completely deserted. They assumed that he must have received some warning in advance and fled.

At ten that night, the Aoyama family left the Asai residence. After sending his younger brother and wife home, Aoyama Munemasa immediately set off for Saitama Prefecture. Before leaving, he instructed Aoyama Hidenobu to take good care of his drunken sister-in-law, Aoyama Haruko.

“What an irresponsible man.”

Watching the taillights disappear into the darkness, Aoyama Hidenobu shook his head and helped his drunken sister-in-law inside.

Haruko did not seem to be in a very good mood that evening.

She had therefore drunk rather more than usual.

“Slowly, sister-in-law. Watch the steps.” Aoyama Hidenobu supported her as they climbed the stairs, intending to take her back to her room.

Haruko was extremely restless, squirming about in his arms. “I... I’m not drunk. Not drunk.”

Afraid she might fall down the stairs, Aoyama Hidenobu simply scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

At only five feet one, his sister-in-law was petite all over. Her most substantial feature was probably her thirty-two-D chest, and carrying her required no effort whatsoever.

Once inside the bedroom, Aoyama Hidenobu gently laid her on the bed and removed her wooden clogs and tabi socks. Her feet were white as jade, delicate and exquisitely small.

“Water... I want water. Give me some water~”

Haruko rolled about on the bed as she spoke.

“I’ll get you some right away.” Aoyama Hidenobu sighed and hurried downstairs to pour her a glass.

When he returned to the bedroom, the sight before him left him stunned. Haruko lay on the bed with her hair disheveled, tugging wildly at her kimono. The front had already fallen slightly open, and her generous curves seemed ready to spill out.

“Sister-in-law, stop pulling at it.” Aoyama Hidenobu swallowed and stepped forward to restrain her hands.

“Take it off. I’m hot. I’m so hot.” Haruko cried and fussed, determined to strip off her clothes.

Aoyama Hidenobu helped her sit up and let her lean against his chest. “Drink some water first. Have a little water, then we’ll talk.”

He brought the glass to her lips. She began drinking instinctively, but much of the water ran from the corners of her mouth down her neck, then along her collarbone and into her clothing. Before long, the fabric around her neckline was soaked.

“I’m so hot. I want to take my clothes off. Hidenobu, I’m so hot. I... I’m going to die of heat.”

The moment she finished drinking, she began clamoring to undress again.

Aoyama Hidenobu noticed that fine beads of sweat had indeed formed across her forehead. A tightly wrapped kimono in Tokyo’s June heat was truly stifling. Seeing that she could not manage to remove it herself, he gritted his teeth and decided to help her.

“Don’t move around, sister-in-law. I’ll take it off for you.”

“Hee-hee, Hidenobu, you... you take it off. Wait, why do you have two faces?” Haruko gazed at him dreamily and raised a hand to pinch his cheek.

Aoyama Hidenobu’s heart began to race. His hands trembled slightly as he slowly peeled the kimono from her, like removing the skin from an orange. Her fair, flawless body gradually emerged before his eyes, leaving his mouth dry.

Especially after drinking, Haruko’s eyes were hazy with intoxication. Her delicate face, no larger than a palm, was flushed with color, and her expression was alluring.

He tucked her beneath the covers in nothing but her undergarments, then hurriedly shut the door and fled.

“Whew—”

Standing outside the door, Aoyama Hidenobu let out a long breath.

Sister-in-law, you’re going to be the death of me!

He was burning with frustration now and needed someone to vent it on. Haramoto Heiji seemed like an excellent candidate.

* * *

In Kanagawa Prefecture, on a desolate stretch of land far from any residential area, several cars stood with their headlights on, casting shifting shadows across the night.

Haramoto Heiji, still dressed in his suit, lay on the ground with his hands and feet bound. Beside him was a large pit that had already been dug.

As a pair of headlights pierced the darkness, a silver-gray Toyota Corolla slowly approached.

Yamakawa Kazuki hurried over, his stout body waddling as he bent to open the door. “Mr. Aoyama, you’ve arrived.”

Aoyama Hidenobu stepped out of the car. Spreading his arms wide, he looked at Haramoto Heiji on the ground and laughed.

“Mr. Mizumoto, who would have thought we’d meet again?”

“Aoyama Hidenobu! So it’s you! You bastard! Have you gone insane? How dare you kidnap me?”

Upon seeing Aoyama Hidenobu, Haramoto Heiji threw back his head and cursed furiously. His eyes bulged with rage, his face twisted with viciousness.

“My, my, someone’s angry.” Aoyama Hidenobu shook his head with an amused smile, then took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips.

Yamakawa Kazuki quickly produced a lighter and lit it for him.

Aoyama Hidenobu drew deeply, then walked over and crouched in front of Haramoto Heiji. He blew a cloud of smoke into his face.

“So what if I kidnapped you?”

“Cough! Cough, cough, cough!” Choking on the smoke, Haramoto Heiji glared at him viciously. “Mr. Kurozawa won’t let you off. If you release me now, I can still plead with him on your behalf. Otherwise—ah!”

He suddenly let out a shriek as Aoyama Hidenobu pressed the glowing tip of the cigarette directly against his face.

The skin sizzled, giving off the faint smell of scorched flesh.

“Mr. Kurozawa?” Aoyama Hidenobu sneered disdainfully. He tossed away the extinguished cigarette, then grabbed Haramoto Heiji by the hair. “That old bastard can barely save himself. He won’t let me off? What could he possibly do to me? He’d better pray that I decide to let him off. I’ve never been one to go easy on old men.”

“You... What are you talking about? What do you mean?”

Forgetting the pain, Haramoto Heiji stared at him with suspicion and terror.

Aoyama Hidenobu grinned, baring a row of white teeth.

“Exactly what I said. That old fool has already been taken away by the Special Investigations Department. Oh, and he was originally supposed to last a little longer, but I handed those photographs to the Hikawa family and gave things a push.”

“No! Impossible! Impossible! You’re lying!” Haramoto Heiji shook his head in disbelief, muttering to himself. “It’s fake. It’s fake. You’re lying to me.”

“My, my. Even now, you still want to deceive yourself?”

Aoyama Hidenobu displayed the smug, triumphant expression of a petty victor to perfection. Rising to his feet, he planted one foot on Haramoto Heiji’s head.

“If nothing had happened to him, I’d be scrambling to curry favor with you right now. Do you really think I’d dare treat you like this otherwise?”

Haramoto Heiji’s face went deathly pale. Indeed, Aoyama Hidenobu’s actions had already proven everything.

Upon learning that something had happened to Kurozawa Shin, the man who had previously been confident he could save his own life instantly fell into panic. Pressing his face against the ground, he begged Aoyama Hidenobu.

“Mr. Aoyama, we have no grudge between us. I didn’t even lay a finger on you. Why must you drive me to my death? If you let me go, I’ll give you all my money!”

“You never laid a finger on me, but you crushed my dignity beneath your feet! You didn’t kill me, so I’ll kill you!”

Aoyama Hidenobu suddenly roared, his face twisted with savagery. He kicked Haramoto Heiji into the pit that had been dug, then stood at its edge and looked down at him.

“During the day, you made me crawl on the ground. Now I’m going to make you crawl beneath it!”

With that, he beckoned.

Yamakawa Kazuki immediately handed him a shovel.

“No! No! Don’t kill me!” Haramoto Heiji was horrified. Driven by an overwhelming desire to survive, he tore free of the restraints around his hands, scrambled to his feet, and grabbed the edge of the pit, trying to climb out.

“Go to hell! Get back down!”

Just as Haramoto Heiji was about to climb over the edge, Aoyama Hidenobu gripped the shovel with both hands and brought it down with tremendous force. Haramoto Heiji was struck until blood burst from his head, and he crashed heavily back into the bottom of the pit.

Aoyama Hidenobu then shoveled several loads of earth into the hole before tossing the shovel to Yamakawa Kazuki.

“Fill it in.”

He had no intention of doing such manual labor himself. Besides, although he could be ruthless when necessary, he still had a soft heart and could not bring himself to do it.

“Yes, sir!”

Yamakawa Kazuki took the shovel and immediately led his men in filling the pit.

“No! Mr. Aoyama, Mr. Aoyama, I know I was wrong! Please, let me go! Let me go!”

“I know the secrets of many people! I’m useful alive! I can help you! I can help you!”

Tears streamed down Haramoto Heiji’s face as he shouted in utter despair. He kept trying to climb out, only to be beaten back down again and again, until he no longer had the strength to stand upright.

As the earth climbed higher and higher around him, the terror in his heart deepened. His voice had already become hoarse from screaming, and his soul was filled with remorse and unwillingness.

Aoyama Hidenobu returned to the car and smoked, ignoring the pleas drifting from the pit. He casually selected a song, closed his eyes, and listened. He hummed along with the rhythm, swaying his head and pretending to play an invisible piano with his fingers.

The whole affair with the photographs had taught him one thing: when one lacked sufficient power, one must not act recklessly.

If he really accepted the so-called secrets Haramoto Heiji claimed to possess, he had no idea how many more troubles might arise afterward. That was why he had chosen to refuse.

All he wanted was Haramoto Heiji’s life.

After an unknown length of time, Yamakawa Kazuki, drenched in sweat, ran back to the car, panting heavily.

“Mr. Aoyama, it’s... it’s done.”

For a fat man, this was the most strenuous exercise he had undertaken since reaching adulthood.

“Good work. Make sure you clean up every trace.”

Aoyama Hidenobu opened his eyes and glanced at the large pit in the distance, now completely filled in. His voice was calm.

“Yes, sir!”

Yamakawa Kazuki bowed.

Aoyama Hidenobu patted him on the shoulder, then started the engine and drove away, accelerating into the night.

“Have a safe trip, Mr. Aoyama!”

Yamakawa Kazuki remained there until the taillights vanished completely before straightening up. He casually tossed the shovel to one of his men.

“Wipe off the fingerprints, then burn it.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the same time, in a luxury apartment in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, House of Representatives member Nihei Taro stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the barely worthwhile night view as he made a phone call.

“How did the thing I asked you to do last time go?”

“Get it done as soon as possible. Once it’s finished, I won’t let you go unrewarded.”